DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING WITH PLACARDS; SCUFFLES WITH POLICE; DEMONSTRATORS ARRESTED.




Initials RM/VS/JF/SC



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Background: POLICE ARRESTED MORE THAN 50 DEMONSTRATORS AT A RALLY IN NEW YORK CITY YESTERDAY (SATURDAY) AGAINST THE VIETNAM WAR AND MARKING THE 23RD ANNIVERSARY OF THE DROPPING OF THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB ON HIROSHIMA, JAPAN ON THE 6TH OF AUGUST, 1945. SEVERAL THOUSAND DEMONSTRATORS HAD GATHERED IN TIME SQUARE TO CHANT ANTI-WAR SLOGANS, LISTEN TO SPEECHES AND WAVE PLACARDS DENOUNCING THE ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT JOHNSON.

THE RALLY STARTED FROM THREE POINTS ON MANHATTAN ISLAND AND CONVERGED ON TIMES SQUARE, WHERE THE FIRST ARRESTS - AND ALSO MOST OF THEM - TOOK PLACE. THERE A BAND OF ANTI-CASTRO CUBAN REFUGEES JUMPED OVER POLICE BARRIERS AND RIPPED UP ANTI-WAR PLACARDS AND STARTED FIGHTING WITH THE DEMONSTRATORS. A NUMBER OF CUBANS WERE AMONG THOSE ARRESTED, AND THEY WERE CARRIED AWAY IN THE POLICE VANS SHOUTING "WAKE UP AMERICA" AND SINGING OLD CUBAN SONGS.

AMONG THE DEMONSTRATORS WAS A GROUP OF 150 WHO CARRIED VIET CONG FLAGS, AND ARE ALSO REPORTED TO HAVE MADE THE NOISIEST ENTRANCE TO TIMES SQUARE. MORE THAN 200 POLICE WERE ON DUTY DURING THE THREE-AND-A-HALF DEMONSTRATION. SIMILAR DEMONSTRATIONS WERE SCHEDULED FOR THE SAME DAY IN CHICAGO, PHILADELPHIA, BOSTON AND SAN FRANCISCO.